Iowa Ag Connection - Iowa Century and Heritage Farms Recognized

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Iowa Century and Heritage Farms Recognized
Iowa Ag Connection - 09/14/2018

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig recognized Century and Heritage Farm families during a ceremony at the State Fair. To qualify, a family must have owned at least 40 acres for 100 years or more in the case of Century Farms and 150 years or more for a Heritage Farm.

This year 359 Century Farms and 148 Heritage Farms were recognized.

"To keep a farm in the same family for 100 or 150 years is a testament to the passion and perseverance of these families and a true picture of sustainability," Naig said. "These families inspire all of us to roll up our sleeves, identify innovative conservation solutions and forge new public-private partnerships to ensure our agriculture industry remains strong for generations to come."

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has partnered with the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation since 1976 to recognize families that have owned and worked a farm for 100 years or more. Including this year's recipients, more than 19,000 farms from across the state have been recognized.

The Heritage Farm program was started in 2006, on the 30th anniversary of the Century Farm program and more than 1,000 farms have been recognized.

The 2018 Century and Heritage Farms Program ceremony was held at the Iowa State Fair in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion. Craig Hill, president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, or Joe Heinrich, Vice President of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation joined Naig to recognize all award recipients.

"It was a great honor to help present these awards and celebrate the rich history of these farms and farm families," Naig said.

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